DC2KC – My Fall 2018 Ride

OK, so with the Alaska Big Road Loop Ride pretty much wrapped up I have just under four weeks to get ready for my fall ride: Washington, DC to Kansas City, MO via the C&O Canal Towpath, Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail, Pittsburgh, PA, the length of the Ohio River to Cairo, IL, then up to St. Louis, MO and across that state on the KATY and Rock Island rail trails to KC.

I’ll leave Alaska on August 5th and finish up in Kansas City on September 30th. Eighty percent of the overnights will be camping with the rest made up of Warmshowers, family and friends and a couple of motel nights. The trip will be unsupported. I will not be bringing anything to cook or dine with (other than a Swiss Army knife and a spoon- ice cream!) so will eat at restaurants/cafes or from grocery stores along the way. I will be riding on average 30 miles/50 kilometers a day on the C&O Towpath, GAP, KATY and Rock Island RR trails and 50 miles/80 km per day on the rest. I’ll take one day a week as a rest/slack day.

I’ll be posting more detailed information about each one over the coming weeks. If you’d like to ride along on any or all of the days, please let me know. As long as you’re independent and can put up with a guy who stops to take a lot of photos you’ll be fine. While the route is pretty much locked in at this point any suggestion as to points of particular interest or issues in a particular area are appreciated. If you live along the route let me know- I’ll wave as I ride by.

I plan to stay at the Chisel Branch Hiker/Biker Campground at mile 30.5 of the towpath on Thursday, the 9th and in Harpers Ferry at the Teahorse Hostel on Friday and Saturday, the 10th and 11th. Surely there’s somewhere in that time frame we can get together for breakfast or lunch, maybe. I’m taking a rest/slack day in Harpers Ferry on the 11th because I’ve always wanted to look around. Let me know.